A small boat and a helicopter were dispatched to deal with the emergency, and a volunteer rescue group searched the area until they discovered the debris of the P-51 crash in 5 feet of water. Both the pilot and his passenger were found dead.

The P-51 plane was built in 1944 and was converted to a two-seat training aircraft while it was being used by the El Salvadoran Air Force back in the 1960’s. In recent years the plane got a paint job and the trademark “Galveston Gal” was put on it. A joy-flight costs around $2,000 a time.

“My heart and the hearts of the Commemorative Air Force, our air show staff and many others are heavy. We are a brotherhood and sisterhood of people who are passionate about preserving aviation history and honoring our veterans who served our country. And we are united in our desire to share this passion with our others through museums, air shows and other events throughout the United States.”

It remains to be seen what happened to the P-51, as investigators try to piece together the evidence to establish the cause of the fatal crash.